Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea: Sanchez impresses as both sides extend winless runs
Chelsea will be looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack after a timid performance in an underwhelming draw away to Bournemouth.
Chelsea were unable to capitalise on Arsenal's slip-up in the Premier League title race as Robert Sanchez starred in a goalless draw away to Bournemouth.
Having seen Arsenal fall to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa earlier on Saturday, Chelsea failed to fire despite Cole Palmer returning for the first time since mid-September.
Enzo Maresca's side could have cut the gap on the leaders to six points, but a third game without victory leaves them in fourth and eight off the summit.
Visiting goalkeeper Sanchez was largely to thank for the draw at the Vitality Stadium, where Bournemouth thought they had taken a fourth-minute lead.
Evanilson was adjudged offside in the build-up from Alex Scott's cross, however, as the VAR intervened to overturn Antoine Semenyo's close-range finish.
Semenyo and Scott then both worked the impressive Sanchez in a one-sided first half, though Chelsea improved after the break and saw Alejandro Garnacho head against Djordje Petrovic's right-hand post.
Enzo Fernandez and Palmer followed up by testing Petrovic, while Sanchez was kept alert late on at the other end to deny another rasping Semenyo effort.
But neither side were able to find a decisive winner, as Andoni Iraola was left frustrated with a sixth straight league game without victory.
Data Debrief: Winless theme continues for pair
More frustration in front of goal saw Bournemouth fail to score in consecutive league games under Iraola for just the third time, also doing so in September 2024 and October 2023.
That was not for a lack of effort, though. Bournemouth had 13 attempts here worth 1.37 expected goals, their most efforts without scoring in a Premier League home game since February against Liverpool (14).
A drab draw also ended Chelsea's 13-game run of scoring in every Premier League match, since failing to find the net against Crystal Palace in August.
The visitors' 11 shots generated an xG tally of 0.88, their lowest in an away game in this season's competition when they have not been shown a red card.
But Maresca may, at least, take positives from a fourth clean sheet in five away league games – more shutouts than they managed in their previous 19 matches on the road in the competition (three).
